SCOTRAIL ticket examiners will be on strike this Sunday as part of ongoing industrial action surrounding overtime payments.

Members of the RMT Union which represents the rail workers will be downing tools for the day as an agreement over enhanced rest-day payments has not been reached.

The union claims that ticket examiners and conductors do not receive as high a payment for working on days off as drivers do.

ScotRail have warned passengers to expect delays and cancellations. Further details of services that are running can be found on the Scotrail website.

The train giants have hit out at strikers saying: "While customers have started to return to the railway, over the past 12 months passenger numbers and revenue are down more than 90 per cent compared to before the pandemic.

"Coronavirus restrictions, including the instruction for people to work from home, have resulted in the number of people travelling with ScotRail to plummet.

"RMT bosses balloted for strike action despite all ScotRail jobs being protected thanks to more than £400million in emergency Scottish Government support, with no staff placed on furlough, no job cuts, and no cuts to basic wages or terms and conditions.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “It is appalling that rather than sitting down with the union to negotiate a fair settlement to ‎this long running dispute Abellio are prepared to play fast and loose with public safety on those lines still running a Sunday service.

“The silence from the political leadership and Transport Scotland on this issue is deafening and it’s about time they started taking responsibility and‎ called Abellio ScotRail to account.

“Our action goes ahead on Sunday in this fight for pay justice and equality and the union remains available for talks any time, any place, anywhere.”

Phil Campbell, Head of Customer Operations for Scotrail said: 

“The RMT’s strike action is wrong and will have a significant impact on customers who are returning to the railway as lockdown eases. At a time when we need to attract people back to the railway to recover the business and secure jobs, the RMT’s damaging actions will turn people away.

“Industrial action will have no impact on ScotRail’s position on 50 per cent overtime pay increases for no additional hours worked, given the severe financial challenges we face.

“We will do everything we can to minimise the consequences of this action, but recognise that customers will potentially have to find alternative travel solutions as a result of this strike.”